How Do You Start Hurdling in High School?

Written by Tina Campbell · Approved by Cami Merickel · Published Aug 24, 2026 · 9 min read

Hurdling is not simply sprinting with obstacles in your way, even though that is how most freshmen first see it. Hurdling is a rhythm event. The goal is to keep your hips high, maintain your stride pattern, and carry the same rhythm from the first hurdle to the last with as little interruption to your sprint as possible. Once you understand that before your first practice, the rest of the event, including hurdle height, spacing, and footwork will becomes much easier to learn.

What Are the Official Heights and Spacing for High School Hurdles?

High school hurdles follow NFHS and UIL's official specifications, but the height and spacing vary based on the event, gender, and race distance. Knowing the measurements for your event before your first competition can help you understand the race and feel more prepared during practice. Here are the standard measurements for each high school hurdle event:

These measurements show you how each hurdle race is set up. Some states may use slightly different competition rules, so check your state's current track and field rulebook before using a specific measurement for a meet. But you do not need to memorize all of them before your first practice.

As a freshman start by learning the height and spacing for the event your coach assigns you. Your coach may also use lower hurdles or shorter spacing during early practices so you can learn the movement before working with the full race setup. The goal is to build your technique gradually rather than trying to handle official race conditions on day one.

The 300m hurdles are a different rhythm event from the 100m and 110m hurdles. They use 8 lower barriers spaced much farther apart, so you sprint between hurdles rather than trying to hold a 3-step pattern.

That distinction matters when practice begins. In the short hurdles, your steps between barriers repeat quickly, and the same lead leg usually returns. In the 300m you have running room, so the number of strides can change as fatigue builds. Learning both legs becomes useful because every hurdle may not arrive on your side

That is also why many freshmen misunderstand the event at first. They often assume the height of the hurdle will be the hardest part, but the spacing between hurdles usually creates the bigger challenge. You have to reach each barrier at the right time, use the correct number of steps, and stay balanced enough to continue sprinting after every clearance. In other words, hurdling is not just about getting over the barrier. It is about learning how to maintain your rhythm while moving efficiently from one hurdle to the next.

How Does the 3-Step Rhythm Work in the 100m and 110m Hurdles?

Experienced sprint hurdlers usually work toward 3-steps between barriers in the 100m and 110m hurdles. 3-steps bring you to each hurdle, ready to attack with the same lead leg.

However, not every freshman or shorter athlete can use three steps right away. A developing stride may require four or five steps between hurdles, and that is a normal place to start. Trying to force a 3-step pattern before your stride is ready can actually make you slower. Instead of taking three quick, natural strides, you may stretch each stride and lose the rhythm you are trying to build.

If your stride is not ready for three steps, focus on making five steps smooth and controlled. Renaldo Nehemiah, one of the most technically precise hurdlers the sport has produced, did not build his 3-step rhythm by forcing it too early. He developed it through patient, deliberate training over an entire season. The lesson for a young hurdler is simple: build the rhythm your body can control first, then work toward the 3-step pattern as your stride develops.

Coaches also prefer odd-numbered stride patterns because they allow the hurdler to use the same lead leg at every hurdle. Beginners may hear these patterns described in different ways, such as:

• 3 steps: The standard pattern used by experienced hurdlers.
• 5 steps: A common starting point for athletes who are still developing their stride.
• 13, 15, or 17 steps: Odd-numbered patterns that keep the same lead leg when counting a longer sequence.

How Should You Move Your Lead Leg and Trail Leg?

Once you understand the rhythm between hurdles, the next part of hurdling is learning how both legs work during each clearance. Your lead leg and trail leg have different jobs, but they must work together so you can clear the hurdle quickly and return to your sprinting rhythm.

Your lead leg should drive first. As you leave the ground:

• Drive your knee toward the top of the hurdle.
• Keep your toe pulled toward your shin, or dorsiflexed.
• Extend your leg over the barrier.
• Snap it back down as soon as you clear it.
• Land with your foot directly under your hips rather than reaching forward.

When your foot lands too far in front of your body, it acts like a brake and slows your next stride. Landing underneath yourself keeps you balanced and allows you to continue running smoothly.

Your trail leg has a different job It stays extended during takeoff, then folds tightly as you clear the hurdle, bringing your heel close to your hip. Think of the movement as a quick snap from the heel toward the hip before the leg whips through and returns to the track. An easy way to visualize it: bring your knee up toward your armpit as the trail leg comes through. The faster your trail leg clears the hurdle and gets back into position, the more time and space you have to settle into your next strides before the following barrier.

The stride immediately before takeoff is called the cut step. It should be slightly shorter than a normal running stride and land lightly on the toes Think of it as a quick tap rather than a heavy stomp. That short, controlled contact helps you keep your hips high and attack the hurdle without stuttering or taking a long, heavy step into the barrier.

Elite hurdlers provide a useful reference for where the takeoff and landing should happen:

• Men: Take off about 2.1 to 2.2 meters before the hurdle and land about 1.4 meters beyond it.
• Women: Take off about 1.9 to 2.0 meters before the hurdle and land about 1.0 meter beyond it.

Those distances vary from athlete to athlete, and beginners may not hit them exactly. That's completely fine. What matters most is understanding the relationship between the two points you should take off from farther away than where you land beyond the hurdle. That spacing helps you clear the barrier efficiently and return to your running rhythm as quickly as possible.

Which Drills Build Real Hurdle Technique?

A beginner should not start by running over full-height hurdles at full speed. Good coaching builds hurdling technique one skill at a time, using drills that help you learn the correct body position, leg movement, and rhythm before you add more speed or height. Each drill below develops a different part of that technique and prepares you for the next stage of training.

• Wall drills: Start by standing beside a wall or fence and drive your lead leg upward while keeping your trail leg planted This lets you focus on the forward lean and keep your foot dorsiflexed without having a hurdle in front of you. Move slowly and focus on getting the position right. Once that movement feels natural, you can begin adding speed without losing your form.
• Step-over drills: Lower the hurdles and place them close together. Then walk or jog through them while practicing the lead-leg and trail-leg movement in a controlled way. The goal here is not to move fast. Instead, you are building flexibility, coordination, and body awareness so you can learn what the correct hurdle position feels like. Once your movement becomes consistent, you can gradually increase your speed.
• One-step drills: Place five to eight low hurdles about six to eight feet apart. You will clear a hurdle almost immediately after each landing, which forces you to develop a quick trail-leg snap and spend less time on the ground. This drill helps you connect the movement you have practiced with the rhythm you need during an actual hurdle race. Instead of reacting to each hurdle, you begin to feel more in control of the rhythm between them.
• Progressed-spacing drills: Run through hurdles that your coach has set at a manageable practice spacing then reset before the next repetition. As your mechanics become cleaner, the coach can gradually adjust the spacing toward the pattern required for your event. The hurdles should always face the correct direction; do not run standard hurdles backward.

Using these drills in this order gives you a clear progression. You first learn the body position, then the leg movement, then the faster rhythm, and finally the stride pattern you will need when you start hurdling at race speed. By the time your first meet arrives, running over full-height hurdles should feel much more familiar than it did during your first practice.

What Should You Expect in Your First Hurdle Season?

Your first hurdle season will feel different from training for the open sprints because hurdling requires you to combine speed with coordination, timing, and rhythm. Hurdling represents a smaller part of the sport, but the basic skills you develop during your first season which are coordination, rhythm, sprint mechanics, and body control are what form the foundation that experienced hurdlers carry throughout their careers.

At the same time, hurdle technique is only one part of becoming a complete track and field athlete. General sprint mechanics, acceleration, and block starts require their own training because they do not develop in exactly the same way as hurdle rhythm.

As you work on your hurdle technique, building your overall speed will help you carry that technique into the race more effectively. Our guide to speed and agility training for high school athletes covers those areas in greater detail.

FAQ

How tall are high school hurdles?

Boys use 39-inch hurdles in the 110m and 36-inch hurdles in the 300m girls use 33-inch and 30-inch hurdles.

How many steps should you take between hurdles?

Three steps are the sprint-hurdle goal. Until you can hold it naturally, use the pattern your coach gives you.

Which leg should I use as my lead leg?

Start with the leg that naturally moves forward first when you clear a hurdle. Most athletes discover their natural lead leg after a few practice sessions. Rather than forcing a particular leg, give yourself enough repetitions to see which side feels more coordinated and comfortable.

Do I need to be fast to run hurdles?

Speed helps but it is not the only thing that matters, especially when you are learning. Good rhythm, timing, balance, and hurdle mechanics can make a bigger difference at the beginner level. An athlete who controls those fundamentals can often outperform a faster runner who struggles to maintain proper technique.

What is the most common beginner mistake?

Crowding the hurdle. Taking off too close sends you upward instead of forward and disrupts the next stride.

Can I switch to another track and field event later?

Yes. Many athletes move between events as they develop their skills. The coordination, timing, rhythm, and body control you build through hurdle training can also help you in open sprinting, the long jump, and relay legs.

What Should You Do Now?

At your next practice, focus on one goal clear each hurdle without hesitation and land ready to keep running Build one clean, repeatable clearance first, Let your coach add height, spacing and speed from there.

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